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Gurth - Tormentes CD (album) cover

TORMENTES

Gurth

 

Jazz Rock/Fusion

3.39 | 19 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

avestin
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
3 stars I first heard Gurth's music in their Myspace and though it cool. The band's bassist, Jordi, then proceeded to contact me asking me to review their album, to which I happily obliged, being enthusiastic about the music I heard.

This is a dynamic group, playing tight and energetic fusion/prog that is varied and fun. The music is mostly on the upbeat and rhythmic side. They shift very well from their rock oriented side to their jazzier facet and combine both effortlessly and effectively. There is a good marriage of the different influences and elements in their music. There are tracks, like Coese Que Passen in which some fusion influences from the 70's come into mind but mostly their sound is fresh and captivating.

As is evident from their music and the cover art of the album, the band is not devoid of a sense of humour; it is an album that will have you beat your head to the rhythm and move your feet accordingly. The vibe and pace are engaging and addictive. I found it very hard to resist being carried away in their melodies, it is just contagious. Needless to say, this is a great thing about an album; its ability to carry you with it during its duration.

I also think it evident from listening to them that they are proficient in their playing, all of the musicians. The drums are a joy to follow; Raimon Iniesta the drummer is clearly having fun there as he is giving great tempo and variety in his playing. The same can be said for all other musicians in the band. In particular I'll mention the bass in Les oliveres D'en Joan and the guitar in Somnis Lliures. The vibraphone is a good addition where it appears. While mostly instrumental, there are some songs and the vocals, while not spectacular, are not bad or take too much away from the music. However, I would recommend them to not sing in English (though it's only one line in one song).

The songs/tracks are well ordered in the album, keeping an uninterrupted flow and unlike in some other albums of this style, the tracks are easily distinguishable and do not "lose their identity" amidst the others, meaning that it doesn't all sound the same. My advice to them (should they want to even hear it) would be to expand the influences they incorporate to their sound and go for more than the current repertoire; what I mean by this is that they seem like a band that can play whatever they decide to. It would be great to hear them widen their musical palate and go for a broader range of styles. I think that they can do it very well.

If it's buoyant and vibrant melodic music that you want, with a good portion of jazziness and rock inside, then this is a good album to pick. I'm looking forward to their next album.

3.5 stars in PA scale

avestin | 3/5 |

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